Why The U.S. Can’t Solve Hunger

33.8 million Americans didn’t have adequate access to food, according to the latest report from the USDA. That’s despite the fact that U.S. is one of the wealthiest nations in the world based on almost every metric. In response, spending on food assistance programs like SNAP has grown exponentially, reaching a record of $182.5 billion in 2021. But food insecurity has remained relatively the same as it was in 2001. So why are so many Americans still hungry and what can be done to solve it?
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:51 - Financial pressure
05:40 - Effect on the economy
07:51 - Solving hunger
Produced by: Juhohn Lee
Edited by: Nora Rappaport
Animation: Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images, Food Bank for New York City
Special Thanks: Food Bank for New York City
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Why The U.S. Can’t Solve Hunger

[@souljapolo96]

I used to work for restaurants and it’s insane how much viable food these companies throw away. Enough to feed multiple families every night. It was painful to watch knowing the food shortage is just as high as the food waste.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Yes it is restaurants that waste food. Not us.

[@LucasFernandez-fk8se]

There’s not a food shortage. Everyone is obese. Only non food producing, non manufacturing, non intellectual capital producing nations go hungry. Your African nations, middle eastern nations etc. everywhere else has food. China doesn’t have enough food but they make cheap crap in exchange for food. Brazil doesn’t make things but exchanges food for stuff. The US makes intellectual property and food but doesn’t manufacture anything so we exchange food for the stuff we designed then sell that stuff someone else made for more money

[@j.granger1120]

The restaurants have to toss out food to meet health regulations. The customers, on the other hand, waste a lot.

[@shiningyrlife]

Litigation issue and health regulation. Food can't just be consumed just because, food...

[@daniel17319]

Why dont you eat it, then.

[@madiedamonsta]

I lost my job for 6 months and I visited food banks. I qualified for SNAP and I cannot begin to articulate how much my quality of life has improved since getting that help every month. I have been able to afford to go to the doctor, I have paid off some debts, I have moved to a nicer neighborhood, my quality of life has improved 10-fold. If you have any reservations about how this money is used, I'm in college again getting my degree and working full time. They're right, it starts with food.

[@EbonySaints]

Good job! I'm glad that you were able to get help and be able to succeed!😊

[@marshapelo9830]

Before snap i could only afford junk food. After i got snap, i can buy healthy foods. I feel much better.

[@justacinnamonbun8658]

SNAP is how the billionaires that own and run businesses like Walmart and Amazon keep their operating labor costs artificially low, instead of paying a worker $30/hour they pay $15 and the other $15 is made up when working people pay taxes that eventually get funneled into SNAP program to feed the same people. 😆 I mean come on... Billionaires shouldn't exist. And I'm a capitalist!! I'm just calling it for what it is. A person can have so much money they'll never be able to spend it all before they die. What a concept. 🤯

[@Davethreshold]

The VERY BEST of luck to you, "Young Man!" ❤(Read my post above.)

[@daniby9894]

​@marshapelo9830 There's another thing that contributes aswell: the lack of cooking skills. If you have the skills set to cook from scratch, you can save huge amounts of money, becouse staples cost sometimes a third of price of processed product and staples are still pretty affordable if you have the "know how". For example, I quit buying chicken pieces: I get an entire chicken at $2.5 per pound, carve it myself and I have enough meat for 3 meat dishes for 4 people + skin and bones for broth (another dish) and if I'm not making soup that meat on the bones ends up in an appetizer. Carving and putting your meat away including cleaning after takes 10 minutes of your time and 4 people can stretch that chicken for 4-5 meals and it cost you less than $10! Add some eggs and legumes, canned tomatoes, aplles and bananas , flour, potatoes, pasta, bread, milk, oats, flour, onions and carrots, some lettuceand you're OK even if your budget is super tight and you spend less than on junk food

[@Silver_Rayn]

I am a veteran who is on disability & lives in low income housing. I don't qualify for SNAP. I don't even qualify for state medical. I rely on the VA for medical, which is 3 hours away. I no longer have a car, so I have to depend on others to get there. Because of this, a lot of medical issues are ignored until they become emergencies. There are so many veterans out there that have it worse off.

[@Supr_KILLA]

Same. I have no ride so a lot of medical issues go ignored

[@earleneworrell]

He is right the government don't feed the veterans stop just stop it and give snap benefits to them I get tired they always feeding other countries TAKE CARE OF AMERICANS first. It's just wrong

[@Akimbo411]

@@earleneworrell Veterans are a threat to politicians so of course they don’t try to help them

[@SwedishBlouse]

So grow your own food.

[@twelvestitches984]

I'm a veteran (20 yrs) who saved and invested the entire time I was in the military and I bought some land in California, built a huge house, it's all paid for, and I live fine off of my enlisted retirement pay. Let me guess, you always spent your money as fast as it came in, right? The problem is not the system, the problem is knuckleheads are going to be knuckleheads.

[@Silver_Rayn]

I grew up with a single mother who didn't always have a stable job. We didn't always get school lunches & we frequently had to skip meals. At home, we had poor food choices that had to be stretched out. We usually moved once a year & rarely saw a doctor. My sister & I both have multiple severe health problems. I have a half-sister who grew up in a 2 parent home with all the advantages we didn't have. She has no health problems. I can't get my dad to see the correlation. He still thinks poor people just need to work harder.

[@patreacurry2182]

:(

[@markfreeman4727]

the Us attitude of "i;m not sharing, go get your own"

[@patreacurry2182]

@@markfreeman4727 sad to say, i share when i can always.

[@andersrefstad8235]

​​​@@markfreeman4727 And now they are where they are... (Maybe start a tentfactory ower there, Cheapo qalety) I see a big market comming, maybe name it "Middle Class" ..?

[@SwedishBlouse]

Grow your own food and be quiet.

[@noseefood1943]

I worked at Whole Foods and it was criminal how much food were thrown out 150-200 lbs of meat, bread and produce a day

[@DrSchor]

since there is no law against throwing food away, how can it be criminal? thanks for explaining

[@BobaDavis]

For regulatory reason, it's reasonable to do so. Besides, it would be a shitshow if they just gave it away - why do you think fast food restaurants don't just give away food at the end of the night?

[@jmodified]

@@DrSchor Maybe you're not a native English speaker or not from the US? "Criminal" is a common expression, meaning roughly "should be against the law", and can be used negatively or positively.

[@sheilag2231]

⁠@@jmodifiedgeez guy make teachers pet back in the day much? “Teacher’s pet” meaning you try to look smart but in the end you are just weak and helpless in you argument.

[@jmodified]

@@sheilag2231 My reply was sarcastic, as I assume DrSchor was being a wiseass by pretending not to understand a common expression.

[@robertrussell1879]

It's not a question of can be done, a question of having the desire to make it happen.

[@Gilded_Cage_Princess]

We're a lazy and entitled society. A lot of people will die first

[@Woysla]

Which is last in the list of priorities for our electrd officials.

[@million8739]

Facts the same way we can ask why is there homeless still why is it you can't afford simple housing or afford a decent job

[@bc41]

the world needs fewer people. No people, no hunger. Stop having babies and hurting the planet. - tree hugger /s

[@TheErodsmommy]

​@bc41 Most of the country says otherwise in regards to "quit having babies". Isn’t that one of the biggest, current, national political debates to date? Moron! 😂

[@MilePost106]

You should do a video on food wasted in this country! It’s insane! Hunger can easily be solved in 3 words! Quit wasting food! These restaurants and grocery stores throw tons of food away each day. I was in the military and worked in the kitchen and the food they threw away each day was mind boggling. I remember when they made way to much tuna casserole we filled 3 garbage cans full and went to a farmer who picked it up and fed to his hogs. There is so much food waste in this country.

[@SwedishBlouse]

Shut up and grow your own food.

[@Itried20takennames]

What aren’t you doing this then? If you see food wastage that can feed others, then organize the drivers, etc and make it happen. No matter your situation, this could be done if you wanted to. But you won’t, and then complain that others should when you won’t.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

​@@Itried20takennames I'm trying that right now. Basically a Bachelor's Chow using commercially thrown away food that's still edible for humans. I'm still trying to get the packaging right to make sure that it stays preserved well enough, which will likely require either a very salty broth or freeze drying. I'm open to ideas since It's still in the testing stage. For the fruit, I'd turn it into candied fruit leather. More drivers and community fridges will not stop the problem when we're straying away from the path of cheaper energy via nuclear power. Food banks still do their best but I know first hand that there's only so much free sliced bread that people can stomach, which is why it goes moldy.

[@13lackout360]

The problem goes back to money. Sure, they COULD give away food for free on the day it reaches its "sell by" date. But then people will just wait for free food instead of buying food. Grocery stores are a business first, not a public service.

[@Scarshadow666]

@@Itried20takennames There's a video I saw (I think from the channel Climate Town) where someone mentioned why some buisnesses waste old food instead of donating it is due to some health and safety/liability laws - because if someone ate their leftover food and got sick, then their business could get liability charges. There was even some comments from people that have worked in some restaurants/cafes that were told they weren't allowed to take home/donate leftover food (not that it didn't stop some people from doing it anyway, luckily).

[@satyamforever]

That is why India has temples and gurudwaras which feed everyone without discrimination. In Indian culture feeding people is considered a virtue. Even in schools children are given mid day meals with proper nutrition

[@TruthSeeker09825]

The bow-tie man broke my heart. It should not be like this. It’s the lower class that suffers the most but lately my high paid friends are experiencing the same. It’s heartbreaking.

[@j.granger1120]

That guy has to find a new gig. Bow ties aren't in style right now and may never be again.

[@mike60521x]

@@j.granger1120 heck, even neckties are out of style

[@angelinashen7813]

US has a welfare system like the 3rd world countries.

[@gooseyforce3278]

He has a website if you wish to purchase his creations fyi.

[@melski9205]

@@gooseyforce3278 linky?

[@edilee5909]

If I learned anything about the US after living here for 13 yrs, this will not be addressed until working people drop dead from malnutrition and start affecting companies' profits.

[@kclarke2971]

You are so on point.

[@marcusm8009]

They have robots. It won't affect them.

[@Yul-Uhlu]

Then they will feed us Soylent Green for free.

[@dattape2828]

Oh yeah 5at evil capitalism again. Why can’t people own up to their own problems?

[@Chad_Max]

With obesity rates continuing to climb, they won’t drop dead of malnutrition. They’ll drop dead of a heart attack!

[@odiggler]

“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited people, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” - John Steinbeck

[@PodcastClips23969]

Socialism makes everyone poor except the government. It’s not the answer

[@nicolemonrue]

I worked at Starbucks and after shifts there would be a lot of food that we would mark out. I would always bag it and give it to the homeless that surrounded the store. 9 times out of 10, they would throw it back at me and asked for money instead. We don't have a food problem, we have a drug problem

[@SwedishBlouse]

No , you have a problem with people not growing their own food.

[@dallenpowell2745]

Poverty exists not because we can’t feed the poor, but because we can’t satisfy the rich.

[@neoreign]

in other words, capitalism. Here come the 'commie' comments, i am not for communism, i'm for democratic socialism which is what bernie sanders wanted. These companies are the real communists, they get bailouts, they get stimulus packages, they get federal aid.

[@janelleg597]

Sounds good doesn't work

[@TheMarcosvolta]

@@janelleg597 what doesnt work?

[@echochamber1234]

not just the rich, but the middle class. do some research into how social safety nets are funded in Europe. you'd be quite surprised who's responsible for paying.

[@bc41]

no, because we have too many poor kids to feed. poor people should stop having babies

[@longbeach225]

America is a driven profit country. So if solving hunger does not line up investors and CEO pockets then it will never be solved. In most cases it will just get worse. The other issue is too many grocery stores are merging together to create a monopoly which means they will raise prices because lack of competition.

[@Aaron14LifeZZZ]

100 On Point

[@bartdoo5757]

Socialists should be lining up to help on their own.

[@chiquita683]

Solving hunger is profitable because the government funnels tax dollars to branded food products through WIC. WIC should be banned from buying processed foods. Only fruits, spices, vegetables and raw meats/fish. The WIC dollars will go much further when its not buying a $15 box of lucky charms good for 2 days.

[@kineticstar]

There's a way to get the money from those profit driven companies. Offer all restaurants and grocery stores a reduction in taxes, but with a stipulation that a third of those savings needs to be donated to food pantries and other charities. To solve the food desert issue, offer a subsidized tax brake for building and providing to less served areas for a time. Depending on projected cost to do so. Also, increase sales tax na5ion wide by one cent, and you can ensure that goes to food for low income families so no one goes hungry in ever again. Sadly, this will be shot down because of politics.

[@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeings]

Mind Begs the Question: To support and aid an Apartheid State Democratic,Fascist?

[@maliyahrenee8957]

Middle class child here. My mom always made about 60k a year. She was a single parent of 4 kids and we never qualified for SNAP. But we didn’t always have food!! 60k a year 4 kids is seriously not enough I am a witness.

[@rustykatt3870]

maliyahrenee, all the best to you. I bet if your mom needed help, you'd be there to help.

[@SeudXe]

Sounds like a skill issue. Maybe dont have 4 kids on $60k and be smarter about your decisions in life.

[@triggered577]

Unless death or disability was to blame, the father(s) should have been sued or incarcerated. This society has had enough of these sorry males who breed like feral creatures when they don’t have the resources to partake in the upkeep of their offspring.

[@tic857]

The fear of being sued, and the jealousy of people who see others receiving, and the anxiety of seeing other people improving, and this weird fertilization of "you need to struggle before you improve" mentality is what holds this country back. Too often times I hear people arguing and fighting against feeding the hungry because of "it's not fair they get a hand out" or "I work for my food and home! They should too!" Or "get a better job!" Or "study harder!" Or "struggling is what makes you stronger. It motivates you." Its gross. Food is like sleep. If you don't have either your body starts failing and you have no energy to do any improvement. You go into survival mode, and you don't exit survival mode until an outside force and opportunity becomes available. So many people have this feel good feeling when they say "protect the children" "serve our veterans" "honor our elders"...but the second you suggest an increase in things like snap or food banks, summer lunch programs or free lunch suddenly it becomes "why should I give them a handout. Or "I don't know them!"

[@Babu-kr3cr]

They are narcissists. They think they are helping everyone by being greedy and selfish. I think it is like the philosophy of Ayn Rand, enlightened self-interest. "If you just look out for yourself, everyone else will benefit somehow." She was Russian. I wouldn't be surprised if they wrote those books as psychological warfare to destroy the USA. That or she was just a defector who found her niche in a capitalistic ponzi scheme.

[@1bwash]

I just cannot believe that the people who often wear their christianity on their sleeves are usually the some people fighting against feeding the hungry. But that's the reality in this country.

[@M-_-O]

Exactly this.

[@Mephilic]

The United States is more like The Divided States. It's community doesn't support each each other. The culture is hyper competitive and it's seen as other people receiving a unfair advantage. Empathy and morality isn't king here it's greed that talks and hyper individualism to the point where accepting help is almost seen as shameful. We talking highly of our Vets until they're just another "drug addict" on the street then there's weird anger instead of compassion about it.

[@jennjones5835]

As a food service director, I will ALWAYS feed the kids. I would rather have my department go into the red and have to answer to the school board, then let a kid (no matter age) go hungry!

[@SwedishBlouse]

Just get everybody around you to grow their own food.

[@apara2005]

I believe in feeding everyone...kids aren't the only importance.

[@chris-ub8in]

People need to stop breeding if they cant feed the outcomes.

[@Helfirehydra]

We will always feed the kids. The bare minimum is what you mean. Because the food that are giving it to kids is usually non-nutritional food that has addictive additives to prime you into buying more addictive food There’s a reason why the average school lunch is super unhealthy

[@tres5533]

I worked in hotels in NYC and was shocked the amount of food thrown away. The reason why was legal and being sued if someone got sick. The problem is corporate greed

[@kommisar.]

So it's greedy to not want a lawsuit? How dumb can you be?

[@pyrolight7568]

"legal and being sued", that is literally not corporate greed.

[@obligatedobservation5878]

Can't sue in regard to donated food.

[@sheilag2231]

@@obligatedobservation5878oh yes you can buddy. You should have known better that the food sat out too long or expired. A conman sees a vulnerability and will take it.

[@kommisar.]

@@obligatedobservation5878 You absolutely can, and that's exactly why restaurants and grocery stores throw out food.

[@op66kimo]

I remember that US obesity/ overweight rate is highest in developed countries. How could it possibly happen that there are plenty people who are starving in US.

[@SeudXe]

Because they can't go a day without eating less than they usually do. Its Gluttony. They can definitely afford to skip eating or portion their foods but they dont want to. Crazy how many poor people are still overweight.

[@youtubesucks1499]

Working hard and working smart are two very different things. The truth is when people have multiple kids they can't afford it's not America's fault. Personal responsibility.

[@douglashogg4848]

It’s not a question of can’t feed its people. It doesn’t want to.

[@jeanlundi2141]

Tackling issues like these requires empathy. As much as people like to b*tch about governments and corporations, the truth is the masses lack empathy. That's why we end up getting hung up on details around important issues. When there are strong enough arguments to convince people something basic and humane is not important enough or doable...it doesn't get done.

[@Novusod]

Lack of empathy stems from living in a low trust society.

[@jeanlundi2141]

@@Novusod Yeah but low trust comes from lack of empathy. I may not know you, and part of you may even be dangerous to me....but it's still up to me to give you the benefit of the doubt and treat you like a human and entertain the possibility of trusting you. If you, also not knowing me, don't even afford me the possibility of trust....it's because you've already decided in your mind you are going to ignore me. With empathy you CAN'T ignore people....even if you don't always like their actions or behaviour.

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

This is a good one and very true, people look down on others and quick to discard human life. No compassion.

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

@@jeanlundi2141amen friend.

[@youtubesucks1499]

So who pays for the food?

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Start charging restaurants, grocery stores and hotels for wasting food. Give them a tax credit for donating. That'll fill the food banks at least, and what won't feed humans can feed livestock.

[@lisawilkerson8408]

I have always felt that helping the working poor, children, and seniors is my obligation as a human being. There are people who go to work everyday and bust their behinds but don't make enough to care for their family but make too much for any assistance. There are seniors who must choose between meds and good food. I work in a high school. There are students you know who will not eat Saturday and Sunday. Elementary school get weekend packages. High schools don't. Teachers sometimes pool money and buy food for them. This year, students can donate lunch items they have to take but don't want in a basket.

[@katslat8410]

My son is now 33 years old, but I remembered many years ago his third grade teacher telling me that there are some kids who come to school just to eat and I thought that it was outrageous. HOWEVER, I see now that she's right. SOMETHING must be done!!

[@liquididentity101]

a) its not profitable. b) they dont want to.

[@allmotorhash]

Exactly none profits take most of it

[@montel0220]

Growth>profits

[@101stairborne6]

@@allmotorhashwhere are SNAP benefits coming from? It better NOT be from my high taxes I pay, go get a job! And if it doesn’t pay well, go get a better job!! Laziness is why they are starving, zero pity from me. We should only help children and the elderly. The rest are old enough to figure it out like I did.

[@widodoakrom3938]

True

[@DrSchor]

@@101stairborne6 where else could it come from if not from your taxes

[@djpuplex]

The problem isn't food it's housing and health care cost that swallow up people's budget.

[@bartdoo5757]

I agree. Almost half of the food in the USA is thrown out.

[@techcafe0]

@@bartdoo5757 true, by the wealthy and those who can afford to throw out edible food. the poor, not so much.

[@TheMarcosvolta]

why cant it be all three?

[@ok.ok.5735]

I was surprised that only $5.5Billion of productivity was lost due to hunger… I can imagine that not eating daily can cause accidents and other social issues which taxes the system heavily. In a $25Trillion economy that’s not much someone needs to revise that number.

[@djpuplex]

@@TheMarcosvolta if you look at what we spend on average out of our budgets on food is far less than other parts of the world.

[@tatianna8214]

This is very true. I’m on food stamps ebt they call it. I can only afford one meal a day to survive on. But that’s not including protein, grain veggies etc. it’s literally rice and ramen. That’s it. Why.. because I can’t afford protein or other foods. Veggies I can afford if it’s on sale. I treat myself to sushi but I know if I do I have to take a cut to one meal which is no food for a day or too. That’s how bad it is now in America.

[@darlenelang3681]

That's because many people lie about things to get help they don't need. Which makes it unavailable for honest people to get the help they need..

[@TBoy1247]

$182.5 BILLION in food stamps. $182.5 BILLION!!! That has to be enough.

[@GeliCarlosJ]

The US government easily could solve a lot of its problems, but officials don't want to because that would be too much effort and would hurt their wealthiest backers that help get them elected & keep them in office in the first place

[@iche9373]

If people still votes for the Republicans

[@algumacoisa0_074]

In conclusion: Poverty is good for a certain group...

[@Thyalwaysseek]

It's not that it's too much effort it's because they want the people in a constant state of lack as a way to dis-empower them.

[@DrSchor]

how can they easily solve something that takes too much effort? thanks for explaining

[@Jenda-ld8dj]

Correct. Yet the very same officials throughout this country push and pass approvals for gov't to build monuments unto themselves such as new school buildings and other structures. It's not the buildings that are so much the problem as it is the system.

[@Deanshamar92]

The title should be why the United States CHOOSES not to feed everyone

[@jamesmitch9792]

because everyone is already too fat.

[@lissettelopez8331]

No country in the world does this.

[@abernathymonsoon4638]

@@lissettelopez8331 I think you missed the point of the OP. United States CHOOSES not to pay fair wages or have affordable housing and has a sub-par health system. Those problems arise from Capitalism.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

or why americans choose not to eat. no one stopping them from growing a garden or working on a farm

[@Deanshamar92]

@@SgtJoeSmith where is a homeless person with no resources going to start a garden? Or the child that goes hungry? Use your little brain, everyone doesn’t have access to some of the simplest things.

[@scotuslaurentius2763]

How are Amercians not angry about this? How is this not a topic that US politicians are being forced to address - it's like Americans just accept that a large proportion of their population lives in terrible poverty ... it's crazy.

[@wobbuffetbuffet]

In addition to the cost of food some homes are food insecure simply because none of the adults know or want to cook. In addition to other outreach we really need to start teaching our young people how to prepare basic meals so that they can break that cycle. I get eating out once or twice a week because you need a break, but every meal of every day is extreme. Food insecurity is a huge issue but I'm glad to see that now children don't have to suffer as much since school lunches are free.

[@Kill3rT0fuuu]

"It's not profitable for capitalism" there I summarized it for you

[@caesars7hills892]

I think that the inconvenient truth is that a larger and larger percentage of the population is not able to make a net positive economic contribution. Capitalism is not the issue. There is no way that the current tax rate shouldn't be able to feed the population. One of the true reasons prices of food is the regulatory burden. I work in the infant formula space. The space is highly regulated. Abbott had a recall due to incompetence. Now, all of the big players have been forced to recall products due to more regulatory changes. The regulators themselves do not understand the rationale behind the very regulations that they are enforcing. Industry experts have concluded that there is no way to produce powder in an aseptic form. The industry is now wet cleaning and segregating batches in a manner to avoid discarding large batches. This raises prices and consolidates the industry further. Nestle sold out to Perrigo. There are now three players that supply 90% of the market instead of 4. Something very similar happened in ground beef in the 2010s. It is not capitalism.

[@mogreen19]

In germany we actually have capitalism and a social system. It is not capitalism - it is the US/UK neoliberal capitalism without regulations, rules and laws that is the problem.

[@lzzzzzzzzz143]

Or the government refuses to help it's people as everyone in it is apart of the 1% ormillionaires

[@Jiggy609]

Victim mentality. Most of these people are in that sutures on account of their very very poor decisions and mindset

[@yuriyu123]

@@Jiggy609 Speaking of "very poor decisions", then the US deserves all the "illegal aliens" that come from the countries it has pillaged, drugs, etc. Hope unitedstatians enjoy them. And the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality is now a blame-shifting tactic used by rich guys at the top. Know your place, peasant!

[@oldsoul9568]

The gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. There is a lack of political will to solve hunger in the US. Many politicians are more interested in protecting the interests of corporations and the wealthy than in helping people who are hungry. The US has a culture of individualism, which means that people are often expected to solve their own problems. This can make it difficult for people who are hungry to get help, as they may be seen as being lazy or irresponsible.

[@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeings]

Mind Begs the Question: To support and aid an Apartheid State Democratic,Fascist?

[@pensacola321]

​​@@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeingsSHUT UP MAGA 🤡.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

It's not your culture of Individualism, it is your culture of selfishness and greed. The elbow society and the lack of empathy towards the less fortunate

[@iche9373]

Well, if people still vote for the Republicans.

[@bdpSovietafr0]

Since Regan was president, worker pay has only increased by 18% CEO pay has gone up by 330% in that same time. 'trickle down economics' has stolen the worth of the working class

[@soulsister2410]

People who are not hungry/poor do not understand how poor people struggle daily to survive. I am a teacher and see it in schools. We should have free universal breakfast and lunch for all students.

[@metal-lm6ue]

I live in seattle WA. And have been on food stamps for a long time yet it’s been a savior at times the food prices and everything else has gone up so high it’s impossible to get ahead of the curve. My body has been aching and the insecurity of not having enough becomes stressful. I’ve never had a job that has made me more wealthy. every job available is a dead end and the businesses pay their employees based on location and previous income brackets that are set by the state DSHS and IRS. food banks are great yet they can’t provide enough to the down ridden population that has never experienced financial freedom everyone is stuck. Hunger grind USA saddest story ever. And to think they say we’re not doing enough yet our government just spent hundreds of billions on wars and other countries. We would be happier if the prices went down yet there is no end in sight. Not to mention the news agencies spreading more fear and uncertainty creating a bigger stressor that becomes crippling to the economy. If you only had one leg to stand on and no one could help you then that’s America. Solve hunger solve poverty solve the financial crisis solve the problem it’s here it’s now

[@jazzyj6640]

Two words: corporate greed ✨️ I experienced food insecurity between 2021-2022. I am single and have no children. I made just about 40k and lived downtown Pgh (I sold my car to save money) and still experienced food insecurity.

[@joebidenisyourpresidentget2481]

“Why the U.S _refuses to_ solve hunger.” Fixed the title for you.

[@juju-xx5xn]

Right?? I didn't like that title either. A lot of it has to do with politics. Anytime that the Republicans are in charge they complain about costs of everything, so what is the FIRST thing they cut? They start CUTTING social programs first. What government should be doing is making sure the rich start paying their fair share in taxes, and then we don't have to cut social programs. It's simple, but the politicians lack the will to actually help people in America.

[@danhtran6401]

It's not that easy... it's not a one day project rehabilitating people beyond broken. That's why adopt a homeless is not a thing....

[@matthewgunning9055]

@@danhtran6401 Where can I sign up to adopt a mentally ill person? If there's no waiting list then Ill swing by to get you around twelve tomorrow. Seems like you need someone caring for you

[@danhtran6401]

@@matthewgunning9055 not sure what you're disagreeing with...

[@widodoakrom3938]

True

[@zachattack245]

One word: money. It wouldn't be profitable to cut prices and cut production to align with actual demand. Instead, the big food corporations massively over-produce food and jack up the prices because that means more money in their pockets.

[@TBoy1247]

$182.5 BILLION in food stamps. $182.5 BILLION!!! That has to be enough.

[@sunnyside6344]

The two biggest problems with the SNAP program are the income threshold to receive assistance and disqualifying households as soon as they earn even the slightest bit more money. The program is designed to keep people dependent on it. There are plenty of people on the benefit program who want to work more but CAN'T because their food security would be eliminated even if they earn as little as 10.00 per week more. If there was a tiered program for those just outside of the income threshold, this program would be much more successful. The "system" should be a path to step up not become a chokehold on the people who qualify. There will always be a subset of people who "abuse" any program, but, overall, this program could become a way out of the poverty cycle if the powers that be tweaked it a bit.

[@Babu-kr3cr]

I doubt people are abusing anything. They are screened. You have to jump through a lot of hoops to get qualified in the first place. People call abuse when they see someone with a nice car or purse or pair of shoes using SNAP. They don't know what they are talking about.

[@sunnyside6344]

@@Babu-kr3cr you think every single person utilizing SNAP is on the level? You didn't grow up the way I grew up if you believe that. There are, in fact, a subset of people committing "welfare fraud". Two income households pretending like someone else isn't living there and reporting one (easier to do than you think), ilicit money making activities, off the books jobs, selling foodstamps for cash. I could go on. It's not my place to judge anyone, but, this is absolutely happening on this program.

[@TBoy1247]

$182.5 BILLION in food stamps. $182.5 BILLION!!! That has to be enough.

[@velvetypotato711]

It makes it worse when you learn about the level of food that is thrown away everyday.

[@marcusm8009]

I've gone to many places asking for food waste. My chickens don't care if it's expired. These companies do not respond.

[@onengkusumah2905]

still better than getting sued by those losers, no good deed goes unpunished over there.

[@marcusm8009]

@@onengkusumah2905 karma works inversely this decade.

[@onengkusumah2905]

@@marcusm8009 karma is a fiction invented by human

[@SeudXe]

Good americans can afford to drop the weight

[@josiahallen6369]

I work at food distribution center/warehouse that starts with A and rhymes with stalldi. The amount of good product and food that gets processed as "damaged" and thrown out is sad. "We have money for wars but cant feed the poor" - tupac shakur

[@youtubesucks1499]

So why don't you start a non profit food pantry? Negotiate with Aldi and see if they will donate damaged food?

[@feefs2139]

​@@youtubesucks1499Exactly

[@youtubesucks1499]

@@feefs2139 Liberals who quote Tupac are the ones who will complain yet, never take any action.

[@1bwash]

@@youtubesucks1499 You're the hypocrite in this situation, not the otherway around. The grocery stores know that if they allow the "waste" to be sold at a lower price or to be given away means they will make less profits. That's why they throw it away instead of giving it away. Much easier for you trolls to accuse people of being hypocrites than admit how much corporate greed is the real factor here.

[@user-hv4rf4hu1e]

Yeah I watch dumpster diving shows and that place has great food thrown out

[@garywatson3778]

Can't? More like won't. I work in a low-volume grocery store in a small coastal town in Connecticut, and the amount of food we waste, to me, is disgusting, and we are a small store. One of my coworkers was telling me a story the other day about how, during a storm, the store lost power for several days, so they had to clean out the store's perishables. She told me there were SEVERAL dumpsters out back where they would take the food, some still mostly frozen, and just throw it away. Insurance was their excuse. If they GIVE it away, it's a tax write off... if they claim it as LOST, it's a big fat check. Checks, as we all know, are better. A whole town's worth of food, enough to feed many people for many months, just wasted. A grocery store is no place for a bleeding heart. But that brings up the bigger point... It's not about giving the needy more, it's about letting the people who control the waste have less. The problem isn't poverty, it's greed. Poverty is only an inevitability when we let greed win. No matter how many buckets of water we bail out, the corporate monsters will keep shooting holes in the bottom if the boat. Bigger buckets don't help.

[@kinosyk]

The US produce enough food to export, but not enough food to feed our own people….. that just doesn’t make sense. We need to make a law against throwing food away by stores and restaurants

[@lastlines09]

With all the food waste in the the country, and no, it is not spoiled, but in perfectly good eating condition, if that would be given to the people who need it, there would not be a hungry person in the country.. Corporate greed and indifference is what stopping it from being put to good use.

[@DC-rd6oq]

Regulations also severely restrict what can be done with food that ends up going to waste unnecessarily. I had a catering business. Due to health department regulations I could not donate the food that was left at the end of an event, event though I had a health department license and followed safety regulations in terms of how long food could be left out before removing it and refrigerating it. It was shameful. Instead of throwing it away I packed containers for myself and my employees and refrigerated or froze them. I saved on my personal food budget and was therefore able to donate to a food pantry. Some of my employees did the same.

[@victorfontaine4943]

If you saw how much food restaurants and supermarkets alone throw in the garbage every week, hunger wouldn’t be a problem at all. The FDA has all these regulations that need to be followed while the GMO’s and processed preservatives keep finding their way into the food…

[@Julieglam3]

Exactly. I work in a supermarket and that fact is REAL. It's appalling.

[@stevenmatthews2278]

It should be illegal.

[@stevenmatthews2278]

Grocery stores are also part of larger corporations which profit off food insecurity. They pay their workers so little that they can qualify for food stamps which funnel government assistance into their pockets. Also, artificially creating food insecurity by creating excuses for food waste allows them to keep people hungry and working like dogs while they raise prices. Look at shrinkflation and the effects of the pandemic. These stores are charging us more money for the same product which has less product in it.

[@mikef2811]

Due to lawsuits....Stores and restaurants don't want to deal with it.

[@onengkusumah2905]

nah, USA is broken beyond repair, too many people suing good samaritans, no good deed goes unpunished over there.

[@rmf9567]

The food stamp program should be more strict. People abuse it and work the system to a level that is insane.

[@TBoy1247]

$182.5 BILLION in food stamps. $182.5 BILLION!!! That has to be enough.

[@rmf9567]

@@TBoy1247 4/5 illegal immigrant families coming over the border will be on assistance for the rest of their lives.. 7 out of 10 illegal immigrant adult males will be on assistance for the rest of their lives.. the average adult illegal immigrant that comes over the border has less than a 6th grade education. Center for immigration studies put out this knowledge recently.. we are in big trouble in these coming years if we don't get them deported

[@Splashstar216]

The UN held a meeting recently and all countries agreed food was a human right. Except America. 😐 how is this not surprising?

[@TBoy1247]

$182.5 BILLION in food stamps. $182.5 BILLION!!! That has to be enough.

[@ernststravoblofeld]

Weird how corporate consolidation tracks with food prices.

[@mathgasm8484]

I work for a grocer and we are at record profits.

[@LeoMidori]

@@mathgasm8484 Exactly. This is all greed and squeezing everybody as much as they can get away with.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

weird how raising the min wage increases food prices

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@mathgasm8484 not when adjusted for inflation. whatever those profits are were worth half as much 5 years ago. And what about the years they made nothing and worked for free?

[@ernststravoblofeld]

@@SgtJoeSmith It doesn't seem to. Nearly all of the "inflation" we see is reflected in record profits for corporations. If we had real inflation, margins would be too small for that to happen.

[@quinnh1398]

The system is designed to keep it this way

[@Mcfunface]

They throw away the food past the sticker date, lock the dumpster so the needy can't get it for free

[@widodoakrom3938]

True

[@vegasromaniac]

I'm fighting not to eat every day. It's crazy that in other countries people die from starvation, in the USA because of diseases caused by too much food

[@gregmiller5634]

The amount of food grocery store and convenience stores toss a day is sickening

[@andrzejadamczuk9822]

For me, the major problem is that wages, on the average, did not go up for the last 40+ years. They may have increased a little to adjust somewhat for inflation, but that is all. At the same time, the productivity has grown significantly, and the extra profits has been going to small number of owners of the businesses, especially big corporations. That is, why Senator Bernie Sanders says that 7% of US population has as much wealth as the 93% of less affluent. Also, he says that 3 people have as much wealth as the bottom 40% of US population. The financial sector collapsed the economy in 2008, and because of the "poor economy" Washington has not increased the Federal minimum wage since 2009. For the last 15 years (2009, 2010 ...... 2023), it is still $7.25/hour. But the prices went significantly up, especially in the last couple of years. Who pockets the difference? Another issue is that the minimum wage dictates how much those with better qualification should be paid. It is a fact that some states increased the minimum wages, but the truth is that about 50% states, especially the poor states in the middle of America, keep the $7.25/hour as the state minimum wage. How can you pay all the bills, including food purchases, with wages of $7.25? It is not possible!!!

[@timothymatthews6458]

"How can you pay all the bills, including food purchases, with wages of $7.25?" Um, work two jobs? Hello?

[@perfectlyposh.lauriewolf6135]

Increasing minimum wage doesn’t work. It just means everything increases as much as minimum wage. It has been disastrous for CA.

[@cb4734]

Spot on 👏💯

[@SgtJoeSmith]

bernie sanders owns 3 mansions and made $2 million on a book deal and said if you suckers are tired of being poor you can make $2 million on a book deal too if you were as smart as me. And productivity at my company has gone down. it now takes 20 employees to do what 1 used to do. meanwhile min wage tripled in 25 years.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

well if you cant pay bills at $7.25 then go be a doctor, dentist, nurse, pilot, lawyer, cop, fire fighter, landscaper, welder, roofer, car salesman, realtor. Can you even post the name, address and # of someone making $7.25 an hour? no you cant. and no one else has been able to last 15 years either. so STFU!

[@dannywoo3535]

One point would be that many food places throw out food after closing time that can be fine to eat, one example would be dunkin donuts, food waste can also be a factor.

[@Northwest360]

It should be illegal. Some places pour bleach on perfectly good food

[@tuanx]

No one should be eating Dunkin' Donuts. Better example would be grocery stores & trendy healthier dining like Sweetgreen, Chop'd, Chipotle. Dunkin' is a major contributor the heart disease, obesity & diabetes epidemic. This obsession with carbs is killing people. They also need to stop suburban sprawl & create more farm land local to cities.

[@bartdoo5757]

Almost half of the food in the USA is thrown out.

[@Ruddy761]

Did you know many grocery stores and restaurants put chemicals on food they throw in the dumpster, so homeless can't eat it? No free meal for you! What a kind society we live in!

[@yosemite735]

Dunkin donuts will not feed anyone.

[@brutusalwaysminded]

Why not? There’s plenty. We should stop WASTING so much food. The distribution of food and services is an obvious part of the problem.

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

People are hungry because of human greed and obsession with MONEY. Its not about the lack of anything. We have too much of everything. Millions of tons of food and things are thrown away every day. People dont get the help they need,because greedy men dont see it PROFITABLE.

[@roycarter2797]

I live in a town in Wisconsin literally surrounded in agricultural crops developed to feed livestock and not people. The vast waste associated with animal agriculture is a huge problem that media almost always ignores. Animal feed crops are subsidized with tax money. While crops that feed people directly are actually discouraged. And this is the entire country choosing for it to be this way.

[@williamwilson6499]

You do know we eat those animals, right?

[@nancyneyedly4587]

@@williamwilson6499 Do you see how weird it is to grow food to feed to animals then eat the animal when you could just eat the food in the frst place and it doesn't need to go through the animal. More food.

[@starojunes]

It's because no one wants to face the reality of the alternative which is eating no meat or WAY WAY less meat. A single cow eats way more in a day than a single adult human. People in America don't want to consider change and consider that THEY might be contributing to the problem.

[@TechOutAdam]

Why I advocate for people to go vegan or at least 80/20 on their plant vs meat consumption. I'm not expecting it's realistic for the whole world to go vegan. Let alone do that in a short period of time. We absolutely eat way beyond excess of sustainability with animal products and processed foods.

[@boulderbash19700209]

​@@nancyneyedly4587It happens because Americans choose to eat that way. Even those so called "hungry" people reject to eat mostly plant based food.

[@patrickpaterson8785]

I remember reading something about just allocating the staggering corporate food waste to the poor would fix any hunger issues like 3 times over.

[@Mr.Patrick_Hung]

Americans used to talk about hunger in the third world. I am living in one of those once-poor countries, looking at America and thanking God that I am here. What went wrong in America? Just the way I see it from here in China.

[@mewletter]

@@Mr.Patrick_Hung Logistics, bureaucracy and food safety related laws. And those three main reasons varied from state to state.

[@charleshanks6186]

let's face it the congress states and even aid agencies don't want to end hunger we waste probably 30% of food is wasted...

[@undrwatropium3724]

Walmart would rather throw food away than donate it

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@Mr.Patrick_Hung because chinese people were actually really trully oppressed for a long time under socialism and in 70s when china allowed capitalism the chinese people rejoiced and made trillions of dollars. americans grew up too free and too rich and became lazy. another 40 years china will be like america today cause everyone growing up rich now will become lazy and entitled and greedy. It happened to Roman empire too. Hard time create strong men. Strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak mean create hard times.

[@silasthornblood9038]

Closest grocery store to my location is 3.5 miles away. There are no sidewalks to get there and the traffic is heavy. If I didn't have a vehicle, I would have no way to to get food. There are so many Americans without the ability to even get to a store, let alone being able to buy the food once there.

[@johnnywang206]

There’s no reason to steal bread. My family was poor growing up. Food stamps, food banks, shelters all exist to help. We never went hungry despite being broke

[@amberspark9434]

As someone who works as a cashier the amount food prices have increased lately has been insane. Food prices have quite literally doubled in a year (an order that would be $200 this year would be $400 now), and I can see it continue to go up in real time. It’s crazy, I keep getting people who spend $20-$40 dollars on less than 7 items. Something needs to be done to lower food costs or people are going to go hungry, wages are not keeping up with inflation.

[@dr-rexmangrca113]

THAT WAS THE PLAN AND IN EUROPE THE SAME FOOD PRICE INCREASED 50 PERCENT MINIMUM EXCEPT THE LITTELSHEEP CAN NOT SEE THE REALY IN ICRESAES ... HERE IS WHY ... PRICES JUMP IN 2022 MINIMUM OF 50 PERCENT .... NOW LOOK AT WHAT I KNOW ... MANY PRICES WHEN THE LEAST WAS 50 PERCENT WHAT THE LOW IQ AND VAXED TO HELL LAMBS MISSED WAS THE WEIGHT AND SIZE WHEN DOWN 33 PERCENT IN MANY CASES

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

There are four main factors why good prices have increased so much since 2020. First is the pandemic caused many food processing plants and processors to close. So, harvests had to be thrown out. Second, is the destruction of food resources to address climate change. This has been notable seen in Europe. Third, Ukraine and Russia are the main exporters of urea which is used as a fertilizer. This has reduced the size of the harvests after the war began. Fourth, the destruction of food processing facilities and culling of livestock in the US. There is a conspiracy on this, but at the end of the day it still reduces the total supply.

[@known3617]

$20-$40 dollars on less than 7 items? A single steak at my local grocery store is about $50, I buy 4-6 of them every week.

[@amberspark9434]

@@known3617 Jesus, and I thought $51 for two medium cakes was bad

[@mjblue84]

It's intentional...all of it. Inflation, evictions, housing shortages. America is not the greatest country anymore, it's the greediest.

[@brad3643]

Since you work to eat, you eat to work, so they don't make food free. It is a slave trap! 😂

[@janetslater129]

Prices AND access are MAJOR barriers to people having adequate food. Also, there's a HUGE societal stigma towards those who may need a food bank and food stamps to get by....like they don't deserve certain kinds of food (like it has to be "healthy") just because they are low income, yet they are expected to be fully able to pull themselves out of poverty by their own bootstraps. Also, just in case someone doesnt' know about this, when one applies for SNAP, one of the qualifications (at least here in Illinois), is determined by your GROSS pay, not your net/take home pay. So, it's entirely possible for one to make "too much" to qualify for SNAP, but cannot afford to buy food. It's ridiculous. A first world country should not be having 3rd world problems of people going hungry.

[@Helfirehydra]

One solution that could definitely reduce food scarcity is giving price deductions to people under the poverty line Where if you are under the poverty line, you get a identification card that you show at any grocery or to get 5% off your groceries Because 5% can make a world of a difference to those below poverty But instead of creating a solution like that, they just keep kicking the can down the road and not coming up with any solutions. Meanwhile, hundreds and thousands of hard-working Americans starve. Waiting till they stop working because why would you work for a system that doesn’t want to feed you And we’re slowly going into a world where people are going for corporate jobs that feed them, and it takes a portion of their paycheque for their lunch cost Currently, it’s more financially viable to work for a company that feeds you then it is for a company that pays well

[@james0805]

Food is a right. America can feed everyone. It’s about sharing. Americans need to take responsibility for this problem. Americans can do anything if we come together

[@Jiggy609]

You can’t simply “solve” something like hunger because the underlying issue isn’t simply not having food

[@baharimeli]

Right on the money

[@amandasunshine2]

It kinda is though? They find when they just provide people the things they need, they thrive.

[@mr.nemesis6442]

We produce enough food to feed everyone but the challenge is logistics and distribution. Those are much more expensive than the food itself.

[@stevenmatthews2278]

@@mr.nemesis6442and grocery stores have to keep artificial food insecurity so they can raise prices and pay their workers so little they need government assistance which only helps funnel more money into their businesses.

[@stevenmatthews2278]

@@amandasunshine2it goes back to housing, livable wages, whether or not people live in food deserts, the types of food they can afford, and the cost of living. Food insecurity is created by other issues as Americans struggle to pay their bills. They have to prioritize rent over eating 2-3 nutritious meals a day. They’ll go for cheaper less nutritious foods and skip meals to make rent, car payments, and rely on food banks. This means food banks for those even less fortunate may run out of food. Imagine how this displaces food and productivity for others. Companies like Walmart also pay their workers so little that they qualify for food stamps which in turn allows Walmart to benefit from government assistance while those workers and people who barely can feed themselves struggle, unable to dig themselves out of the mess they found themselves in.

[@wafflesaurus_supreme]

We could solve hunger, we just choose not to. Increase federal subsidies for crops that are actually used for food and not processed products that we don't need, such as high fructose corn syrup, and put Texans on a diet.

[@bartdoo5757]

Poor people are more likely to consume foods with high fructose corn syrup.

[@gamerdrew2761]

Ironic that you say " Increase federal subsidies for crops that are actually used for food and not processed products that we don't need such as high fructose corn syrup", when high fructose CORN syrup is made from CORN, a staple crop. High fructose corn syrup is so cheap and plentiful BECAUSE of the heavy subsidies the U.S. already gives to crops actually used for food, like corn. You are clearly ignorant and have no idea how this process works. Food insecurity is not an easy issue to solve, as evidenced by no-one in this video offering a solution. Throwing money at the problem does NOT solve food insecurity (you saw the spending graph on food programs and their effect in this video).

[@mogreen19]

@@bartdoo5757 The good thing about the high standard of EU food laws: high fructose corn syrup is not sold here. The EU really does have better, healthier and cheaper food.

[@giglioflex]

The US already does this and all the money goes into the pockets of big corporations as it always does.

[@wafflesaurus_supreme]

@@gamerdrew2761 You seem to have a problem with reading comprehension. We need to increase subsidies for crops that aren't being wasted to make ethanol and animal feed. Subsidies and taxes are the main economic tools governments use to change behavior. So yes, a lot of it is about money, or rather changing the allocation thereof. Increase production and bring down the price of fresh produce so that consumers can have access to meals which are actually substantial rather than full of empty calories from ultra processed food. There's your hunger problem solved, at least in part.

[@Pete.-rz7hg]

As a South Korean, I can't believe Americans suffer from the problem of food insecurity at all. According to the given statistical data, even the lowest percentile of the American population need to spend ONLY about 30% of their income on food, which means that they have 70% of their income left! Then how can you possibly suffer from hunger in the first place? Assuming that you don't have to buy a Gucci bag or an Apple phone every month, you can increase your spending on food consumption by 20%, and you still have half of your income left! What the heck is your problem then? Wouldn't this be a problem of overspending or reckless consumption, peculiar to Americans?

[@jjmcg9184]

Lets just face it, we live in a very greedy & selfish society. They have no desire to truly fix hunger so you gotta get yours however you can out here.

[@chris.bcfc.keeprighton.5685]

That's capitalism for you!!

[@niewieder99]

What struck me was the poor man who is a bow tie maker - he’s not even someone I’d think is struggling with food insecurity. The definition of poor has really changed recently… I wonder if there’s a way I can help him?

[@marianhunt8899]

Why is a hungry man who looks tidy more deserving of hungry man who may not be a to afford a suit and bow tie. Why are they, in your mind, more deserving of compassion?

[@lordmango6060]

​@@marianhunt8899how about you don't try to shame someone for wanting to help a stranger?

[@marianhunt8899]

@@lordmango6060 I wasn't but you have put your spin on my comment.

[@corinth1121]

Maybe buy some bow ties from him😢

[@janetslater129]

Maybe see if there's a way to get in contact with him, and see if there's a way he can send samples to fashion agencies, or maybe help him set up a shop on etsy or something.

[@lazeau]

overall good piece, love the advice from the interviewees at the end. maybe it would've been even more impactful to mention how we in the US waste a little under half the food we produce. that food, often perfectly good, goes into dumpsters instead of stomachs because it's less profitable than just feeding people. so along with helping make sure people have enough money to get food, we should continue shifting folks' attitudes to see this as an issue that should be solved without a profit motive. probably not a popular idea in the corporate media office, though

[@jerrytan9133]

the problm is also legal issues, if someone gets sick with the food that was suppose to go into dumpsters then what? companies will face lawsuits and this has happened a lot so now they just rather throw it away

[@lazeau]

@@jerrytan9133 I see what you're saying, but short of literally taking locks off dumpsters and letting people at them, id imagine that unwanted food could be donated or even sold to another store or food pantry. so yeah your food isn't as fresh, but can still be quality controlled

[@14534]

So you propose all essential services should be nationalized (transferred to entities without a profit motive)? So the only private businesses that would exist in your world are hotels and private jet companies?

[@richardcrosby6682]

We already have the means to ensure that everyone's needs are fully met and then some, but we do not have the means to continue supporting the infinite greed of the capitalist class. Capitalism is not sustainable and does not work for the overwhelming majority of people who are forced to live under it. It only works for the richest capitalists. We need a better system.

[@lazeau]

@@14534 that's quite a stretch from what I was saying lol. I'm just talking about food, like the video. a nationalized food outlet industry could be a solution to that, but so could a national regulation on the existing market to require that there only be so much food waste allowed, and that companies need to take steps to use the food they dont want to sell in some way. just because I denounce the profit motive behind food doesn't mean I want to eradicate the free market

[@MrSubsound90]

If companies paid enough that people could afford food, instead of relying on government assistance programs to support their low wages, it would be a good start for food insecurity.

[@teoteous]

The welfare system in the US is broken and that's no secret. People who have financial, medical, and food assistance can have them lowered or cut off if it is determined that they are 'wealthy' enough. But the fact is that such people are maintaining that level because of the support and when people have that support reduced or taken away and suddenly have expenses increased... People know it's a problem but they are barely talked about and even less often have effort put in trying to deal with that.

[@cihant5438]

Solution: Every city has government-funded food stations where *anyone* can grab some healthy food that is available during meal times. It shouldn't just be for the hungry and the destitute. Let's all share some meals. Please, before you ask "who will pay for it", answer the question, "is there something more important than sharing food with your fellow man?".

[@AngryVet44]

Can’t do that…. That’s “Socialism”👻

[@richardcrosby6682]

This is a good idea and such facilities could also function as community spaces, where people could go to interact and enjoy themselves without the expectation of having to spend money, but in major cities one centralized location might not be nearly enough. So it would definitely have to be modified to meet each community's needs, but food is definitely a great way to bring people together.

[@momoneyinvesting]

Still should be reserved for low income , if you can afford to go to the supermarket you should do that lol. Or at the very least not have unlimited access to it like a poor person

[@Apex_Yonko]

Yes. Now, who will pay for it?

[@cihant5438]

@@cgore4 It is a government program which means you and I would foot the bill through taxes. That is what "government program" means.

[@PetrGladkikh]

I have never been to USA but it never stops amazing me that they sort everything from "left" to "right" instead of trying to sort out the problems. Working people in the richest country cannot afford food. That is the problem. Government should set rules to help people to feed THEMSELVES not distributing pittance. Yes, that is harder than allocating a budget.

[@gumball3D]

Left vs right is a great way to distract the masses.

[@Lando-kx6so]

The USA is a hardcore cut throat capitalist & individualist country. They care zero about the people if it doesn't include profit. Poor people are seen as lazy & are often blamed for being in their situation.

[@Lando-kx6so]

​@@kojikeexibit A

[@LonniePierre]

​​@kojike? ?bro, what are you even talking about? Hunger in the richest country in the world should exist because you oppose abortion? Youre placing your morals over the needs of others, when both can be addressed at the same time. You're crazy.

[@echochamber1234]

@@LonniePierre not saying you don't have a point, but I don't think he necessarily meant abortion by "child mutilation."

[@isabellarhoslyn1579]

5:49 thank you very much! key business principle here, you take care of your workers and they will take care of you. i don't really need money. the only reason i need money is because of high food prices, needing to have a car to get to work bc its too far away to walk bike or get dropped off bc its 20-30 min drive each way and used to be longer b4 i qualified to be put at the sites closer to home, and needing to now pay 500 dollars a month to my sister and bro in law to stay with them... and problems do exacerbate other problems.... when i first moved in in 2008 i paid no rent... bc i was family and me being here after tehy looked at it for a few months made almost zilch additional impact on their bills, food and electric and everything they said were basically exactly the same...i ate meals sometimes with the family but mainly paid for my own food so it didnt impact the household any at all. after 2 years i started paying them 50 dollars a month at my oldest sister's request to get used to paying some form of rent in case i ever got out on my own... after my oldest sister died in 2012 it went to 200 a month to help make up for losing the 800 a month my oldest sister was bringing into the household in take home pay and get more used to paying rent in case i ever wanted a place of my own and sometimes i would be asked to pay 50-100 dollars in groceries when they needed me to run to the grocery store for things for the household as our oldest sister had been the one to handle the grocery shopping. then in about 2021 rent went to 500 a month to help them pay down their credit card debt and finally pay the house mortgage significantly down. then in 2022 i wrecked my truck that had been paid off since 2014 so now i have a car payment again. its 429.50 so basically 500 a month also. so basically food is often 300-500, car is 500 just for the car payment plus gas and insurance costs on top of that, and rent is 500 just to stay with my family and would be 800-1500 a month if i tried to get a place of my own right now. so bringing home 2k a month isnt really even helping or enough but the car payment is being paid down quickly bc of my paying 500 even instead of 429.50 a month, so it will go away even faster then the 7 year term of the loan, it probably will be able to be paid off around the 5 year mark and that money will be freed up, the rent will stay about the same bc part of why they asked for me they want to add my name to the house as a 3rd owner once its paid off so i still ahve a place to live if anything happens to them since they are in their 50s going on 60s now. so really food is the only problem. even now with everything else going on if food was taken care of i'd be making 500 a month just to put in the bank or invest or not know what to do with. it would be better to make the same or slightly less then i make now if the company took care of food costs or part of the food costs or subsidized them or offered discounts to shop at this store or something. i make 16/hour now but i would have been perfectly happy staying at 8-10/hour i used to make if food was taken care of or assistance provided. my own actual bills that i control/create of my own choice/choosing are only 200-300 a month. i could live on 500 a month like my aunt used to in the late 90s in a low income apartment on only her 500 a month social security check. i dont really need 2000/month and sometimes feel i'm taking money from others who need it by making that kind of money. i was happy at 1000-1500/month income levels and am elated to be at 2000/month take home pay now. bc once the car is paid off and if food cost was lowered/taken care of i would basically be able to do like all the economists and my teachers/professors and parents adn adults always said, live on half your income and put the rest back for a rainy day or invest some of it or help others with a bit of it. because i only need about 1000-1200 dollars for all my true bills and the rest is gravy, and when the car is paid off that 500 a month can more hten cover food and then like 500-700 will be for saving or when i dont budget right or costs temporarily go up or something or to repair the house or something. so i'm at my ideal income level now, i dont need to buy a house as it stands bc i'm set to be partial owner and eventually inherit the rest of this one and also set to possibly inherit my dads house back in pennsylvania, car prices being what they are isnt ideal but being with family has let me have enough to still get around that potential problem... food prices are the only issue. i just recently found out there is an Aldi in gastonia not far from my work, that has some things like cereal for only like 1.25 a box its a small half size 13 ounce box not the normal 18 or 21 or 25 ounce boxes from the 90s mind you but still dirt cheap considering cereal at food lion here in town is like 3-6 dollars a box for the same or close to same size box. havent made it there yet though bc its 20-30 min drive away and hours are limited only 9am til like 7 or 8pm unlike food lion that is like 7am til 10pm and i work nights, but will eventually find a way to get there sometimes and that will help but it would help more if there was an aldi type store here in this town or if there was one in the area with night time hours or early morning so i could stop when i get off work at 5am and it would help even more if the company had a cafeteria or if the vending machine company stocked the vending machines properly at least once or twice a week instead of hit and miss as they feel like it. so yeah if the company provided/subsidized food car health care and provided more time off during the year, all that would be much more valuable to me then the pay increases both short and long term. heck just giving me a 50-100 dollar gift card a few times a year for 7-11 or aldi or food lion would help so much. the security company has done great getting us the raises from 11 an hour in 2021 to 13 in 2022 and 16 in 2023. the client 2-3 times a year gives us a catered meal sometimes intentionally sometimes just out of the extras they ordered for their people, and usually sometime between thanksgiving and new years we get one occasionally two 2 dollar gift certificates to buy a turkey or equivalent value of groceries. its why i have grown to love working there at my current site so much. ♥ if more companies took care of their people like that or at least showed they were making an effort to do so, it would greatly help the entire economy. and different employees need different things, some want the most money they can possibly get, some really really need health care or food assistance, some just want the ability to have time off to spend with their family when ever they want/need it. most people want a balanced mix of all of the above. college professors know this, highly trained business people know this, observant people know this simply by observing and figuring it out, human resources professionals generally know this as its their whole job to know/be aware of it and figure out how to best implement it..but it seems businesses in generall still don't know this, or some do but they need stock market investor mutual fund funding and those types never see the need for benefits or how much it hurts a company not to offer anything.

[@conductor6577]

We can thank lawyers for people starving in America. All food must be thrown out unless you want to be sued by an attorney. It’s sad to say but it’s better to have people starve to death than potentially get sick from discarded food from your local McDonalds.

[@apraew20]

"All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us" - Michael Jackson

[@JPTech933]

We have the same problem in Canada. While I was at school I worked at a few restaurants over the summers and a friend worked at a bigbox supermarket. We talked about how much food was being dumped into the garbage, some ready to eat and most of it perfectly good. One restaurant where I was in the kitchen, would let employee bring leftovers home but others I worked at, like chains refused, and if you took food home you could lose your job, it was considered stealing even if it was going into the garbage. One of my supermarket friends said that the supermarket had a compressor the purpose to compress boxes and unsold food. By compressing everything dumpster diving was not possible.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Harvard University FNB Money

[@worldview730]

Dam shame, this should be shoved down the political throats of all politicians at voting time

[@BusArch42]

Yup my daughter works at Starbucks and they are required to throw away food at night. They also have to unpackaged to prevent people from dumpster diving

[@HodorDoor]

The reason for that is employees taking advantage of restaurants' generosity. If restaurants let employees take leftovers, they start preparing more food so that there is a higher chance of there being leftovers. By forcing leftover food to be thrown out, employees have no incentive to prepare more than what is expected to be consumed that day. I've read stories of restaurants reducing by several tenths of percentage the amount of leftover food after prohibiting employees from taking leftover food home. It's sad but employees tend to take advantage of every small advantage their job offers until it no longer is possible to do so.

[@BusArch42]

@@HodorDoor if they are in charge of amount made agreed. In my daughters case she follows the managers orders for how much food to prep /pull for the day.

[@zenwilds2911]

Last year at 37 years old I was diagnosed with two types of cancer. I haven't been able to work since, but because I have some money in the bank I don't qualify for help with food in the US. My money won't last forever. The US system would have my bank account get so low that I would be homeless before I got help with food costs. Just give me $194/month, and I might have a chance to keep my house. It costs less than having to home another person one day. I skip dinner these days to keep my money lasting for me as long as I can. I wish I was born in a different country.

[@jrobertsen4505]

When you see such reports from "western" countries, you are reminded of how lucky you are to live in a country with a very good welfare system (without me claiming that everything is perfect). I live in Norway.

[@ahrenadams]

The biggest issue will be early childhood development. The brain and growing child needs the correct nutrients to give them the best chance to develop. This is a handicap we see in Africa.

[@sagapoetic8990]

It's cradle-to-grave. You think the brain stops growing upon graduation? Some basic planning and allocations would go a long way

[@johnallenbailey1103]

It's funny how African immigrants have the highest educational attainment in every Western country and you decided to say this...

[@EbonySaints]

​@@sagapoetic8990Question: How is a five-year old supposed to plan long-term around going hungry?

[@Bell_plejdo568p]

Wdym handicap in Africa

[@ahrenadams]

@khalidabdi9723 I mean as a percentage of kids who get a healthy balanced diet versus those that don't. I might be generalizing as humans do but we have a nutrition issue in South Africa with children. The only meal is from a school feeding program. I am saying this is a bigger percentage than say North America. At least it should be seeing as America's GDP per capita is so large. But of course devil in the details

[@sandraaviles-wilkes7036]

Corporate GREED is our problem!!!

[@SgtJoeSmith]

lazy employees is the problem

[@nedcpa]

Are u one of them?

[@known3617]

Every year has to include record breaking profits while the workers get a single wheat penny in additional income… great system.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@cgore4 yeah wouldn't selling more food make stores more money? Do these stilipid liberals think grocery stores are hoarding all the food?

[@OldSchoolJules]

Sure. Not sure what that has to do with hunger but if corporate greed is a problem, go ahead start your own successful business and help people yourself.🤷🏽‍♂️

[@caracrabtree715]

it’s sad considering that the US produces enough food for the entire planet. So many food plants and supermarkets throw tons away every day. They’d rather throw it out than give it to people who need it.

[@galwhite7011]

It’s embarrassing that we have hunger in the richest country that’s ever existed

[@keurikeuri7851]

When it comes to US food insecurity in children problem, I was waiting for at least a few minutes of discussion of the National School Lunch Program for all children regardless of income to be given full nutritious free meal. But in this video it was only a few seconds mention. In other countries like India and Japan I can get more than half an hour discussion on their free school meal programs.

[@bookmagicroe9553]

@@TheDogGoesWoof69 : how many of these children are you willing to take into your home and feed? It costs society way more for foster care and group home care than it does to come up with SNAP money. Michigan is experiencing a budget surplus and the governor has put forth the idea for schools to receive money for free lunches for all children. The idea of yanking children out of their homes rather than helping families is troubling.

[@Jgarf]

That’s because there isn’t many videos on it but there are papers out there. The reason for how our school lunches are is because much of it is outsourced to large corporations who use it to advertise their products to children. However these products (and all school food from schools in the program) have to follow incredibly specific guidelines for nutrition content. This includes decreasing amounts of sugar, sodium, and trans fat as time passes (this is why US school lunches food tends to taste terrible). They’re also working with incredibly small budgets. I believe the amount of money they have to work with for each lunch is around $3.14 and that includes worker pay, things like trays, and the food itself. Now schools are able to stretch this by having lots get certain amount of foods which helps them get the money back as a reimbursement (a fruit of vegetable with the meal). Then the money for that can be used for other things. School districts are required to track all of the nutrition facts for the meals and work to create different menus. Not all schools are apart of the NSLP which is why there can be differences between schools. Many schools also are not equipped with full kitchens and can’t prepare food anymore so it’s brought in from a separate facility. However as far as food security goes, if enough students at the school qualify for free and reduced school lunches then the school gets all their lunches free through CLEP (I can’t remember what it’s stand for, apologies). These things also applies for the school breakfast program and any schools that serve dinner. As for the actual menus, they are unfortunately limited to what students will actually eat and kids are picky. There has been attempts to introduce better quality food and recipes to schools but some of it backfired because kids just didn’t like it. There are however people working to bring in healthier food to schools like farm to table programs and some districts are working to bring in less unprocessed food and working directly with manufacturers to change recipes to make them better for the kids while still tasting good

[@Thyalwaysseek]

Never rely on the government to feed you or your children, you don't put your life in the hands of politicians who see you and your children as nothing more than useless eaters.

[@angelachanelhuang1651]

bad leaderships

[@sheilag2231]

@@Jgarfamazing the same chicken nuggets and fries from 50 years ago are the same today.

[@jmccoomber1659]

Despite what people say, eating healthy is NOT expensive, it just requires knowledge, know-how and the commitment of time to plan, shop, and cook at home. Part of the problem is that schools stopped teaching "home economics," which - among other things like doing laundry - focused on educating middle schoolers about nutrition, cooking, grocery shopping and meal planning. In the 1970s junior high and high school curriculum creators understood that this instruction was needed to create healthy families and a strong workforce as these students matured. These days, school cafeterias serve terrible food and offer vending machines filled with unhealthy snacks like chips, candy and sodas. If no one teaches the younger generations how to cook and plan nutritious meals, how can they be expected to understand how to select healthy alternatives in the supermarket when ultra-processed foods are marketed as "healthy meals in a box?"

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

Yes, I am VERY pro-restoring home economics for similar reasons! Teach ALL-boys AND girls-to cook and bake! P.S. Also teach personal finance.

[@charleshanks6186]

a ating healthy for my wife is certainly expensive basics for her cost 4 times what it would for me.. she is lactose intolerant and has cilliac ..

[@Jenda-ld8dj]

BINGO!

[@KCH55]

I kind of depends, a lot of people don't have as much access two grocery stores and it's easier for them to go to a convenience store. These are called food deserts. This is harder for people to understand because it's very unrelatable, people who either live very far out in rural areas or in urban areas were people dont live in walking distance. I remember as a kid it was a big deal just to get a grocery store in my area, now that area is a sprawling suburb with several grocery chains all then with in 10 mins or less drive from each other. And there are lots of evidence to support this where there is inconvenience of groceries, there are huge populations of obesity. While dont disagree with that home econ, should be more prioritizes. I would also say 4H should be prioritize in school too. Growing food can a good supplement in your diet as well as keeping people active. And there are more benfits. Another thing is if people have to work long hours, just to make ends meet, people then don't feel like cooking if you're tired so in the end money does matter and time. The pandemic had some positives and negatives for sure but one positive was as soon as people have more time they started get more hobbies, cooking became more fun

[@user-hv4rf4hu1e]

It's impossible to eat healthy in the USA....the foods have been compromised even those at whole food stores

[@teetabua5644]

The rent and utilities are skyrocketing. Groceries are getting pricey.

[@Tallacus]

I work for an Amazon warehouse the amount of groceries soon to expire groceries we give to the local food bank is staggering.

[@nevamo7820]

" Let them eat cake" That worked out for the last person who said that! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DoseofTruth]

French didn't have impenetrable underground bases. So, yes it might work out for the elite this time.

[@valis14]

Just to echo the comments of those who've operated/worked restaurants -- there's so much food wasted, it's really hard to fathom. By customers, by the restaurant. It's just the price of doing business. And that's with giving some of it away. However, that was a select arrangement with a particular charity that assumed all liability; you can't keep your liability insurance if give your extra food away wily nily, otherwise the insurance company won't cover your legal fees after the deductible if you end up getting sued. An overly litigious society ultimately will become a hungry one.

[@artuanmcgee9244]

The problem with giving away food that will be wasted is the threat of lawsuits and intentional waste by employees to just take food. Let no good deed go unpunished. There are never any solutions to help all, only trade offs that will help some.

[@siarnaqfrost4968]

The very fact that US spends a trillion dollars worth of military expenditure, yet failed to provide basic and affordable healthcare, education and social assistance is very telling of how weird its priorities are.

[@TheSnatchbuckler]

The United States spends more on welfare and charity than any other country in the world, by far. That includes through government programs and private donations, both domestically and abroad. I imagine the 150 billion or so we've sent to Ukraine, for example, could have helped a lot here at home. Feeding, clothing, and housing tens of thousands of new illegal immigrants every month isn't cheap either.

[@j.granger1120]

@TheSnatchbuckler : The illegals flooding our country are causing rent inflation. Yes, they do live a dozen to an apartment, but that's one less apartment for rent to an American family. America has to build more and more public and private housing for people who work off the books and send much of their untaxed income overseas. They depress wages in entry-level construction jobs. America is getting nothing out of this.

[@stevensilver1679]

It is not the governments job to do all those things. Defense on the other hand is.

[@KILLKING110]

you do realize 3/4ths of the federal budget goes to things like social security and other social programs right so its not military spending its these programs have become so bloated that just processing costs alone eats billions of dollars up so congress either needs to modernize the programs or replace them with something that isn't so vulnerable to bloat

[@rohandas5643]

Hypocrite usa😂

[@martinc.720]

US restaurants have to start serving enough food for 1 person, not 2, on every plate. The amount of food that is thrown away would be reduced by a vast amount. Americans who travel abroad complain that the portions served anywhere are "too small", regardless of where they go. They are the only ones complaining about that, it has to mean something.

[@tenniskinsella7768]

Your portions of food are way too high

[@Babu-kr3cr]

I noticed from the seventies to the eighties, suddenly the portions got much bigger so they could raise the prices. It was like they were selling two dinners instead of one. Sometimes it is like three or four dinners now. People are so much fatter now also. People treat you as if you are abnormally thin for being a normal weight.

[@martinc.720]

@@tenniskinsella7768 Not in the US, but I agree, their portions are ridiculous.

[@420blackbirds8]

Finally. I've talking about this for years and no one is talking about it. Fact: Search: starvation are linked to schizophrenia Fact: Search: starvation is linked to mental illnesses Fact: Search: income mortality rate by race state u.s. map Fact: Search: which race has the highest infant mortality rate in the united states

[@Baseds_Backup_Account]

On the contrary, the U.S. can't solve a lot of it's very own problems. If anything, we ourselves *are* the problem.

[@tom4ivo]

I usually examine persistent problems that people struggle to fix by asking myself who is benefitting economically from the problem. For instance, the housing shortage persists because it benefits land and home owners by making their properties more valuable. In this case, I can't figure out who would benefit. Which means it's a symptom of another problem, and directly tackling hunger won't do much. People have food insecurity not because food is scarce (we export food), but because they don't have enough money to pay for all the things they need to live. This also means that they don't have the money to participate in the political process. They can't make campaign contributions. They can't take time off to vote, and their state doesn't let them vote by mail. The political process is dominated by those of better means. I recently read "Why Nations Fail" by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. It argues that politics and economics are intertwined. When one group loses political power, another group gains political power, and there will be a transfer of wealth from the first to the second. Political power follows the money, and the rich will make sure the poor stay that way, lest the rich lose their political power. It doesn't matter if this hurts the country's economy, as long as it helps the powerful stay in power. This is why so many countries can't seem to lift themselves out of an impoverished state.

[@tenniskinsella7768]

And people complain in Britain about price ofvfood it went up a lot but is coming down some people seem to think the prices only went up in Britain

[@xejelah]

Bill Gates benefits. He's making frankenstein meat and other lab created food. He's also pushing for fungus to be something people eat a lot of in the future and I don't just mean mushrooms.

[@markfreeman4727]

blackrock and vanguard own a large part of the real-estate market (and the world) they buy up alot of homes

[@katiecommon3614]

Do you really think home and landowners are rigging the system to keep prices high? No, they don't have the power. The chronic lack of homes comes from the continuous supply of millions of people coming in each year through immigraion that need to be housed immediately.

[@RialuCaos]

Employers in general benefit from food scarcity, because that means employees will accept worse working conditions and constant overtime in order to survive. They just have to be careful and not push the envelope too far to prevent riots.

[@kabloosh699]

Crazy we got a food scarcity problem, but we also have an obesity problem too especially at lower income levels. I think we have a healthy food scarcity problem, not so much of a general food scarcity. There is definitely cheap garbage food out there for people.

[@amberspark9434]

Especially considering in a lot of food deserts the only “grocery store” could be a dollar general

[@lzzzzzzzzz143]

@@amberspark9434they are the only ones who can survive the stealing

[@ClaytonLivsey]

yeah well fritos don't go bad. fruits and veggies do. if you were a corner store, what would you want to sell?

[@ciscoterres717]

the cheaper food stuffs (wheat, cereals, etc) cause the most weight gain.

[@sagapoetic8990]

There's no food scarcity problem. Just a food access. Look at the grocery inflation. $5 for eggs in DC and $6 for bread. Really?? The shelves are stocked, too.

[@Akimbo411]

Ironically, food is so cheap that grocery stores wouldn’t be able to stay open if they were giving it away on a large scale. Groceries are expensive because the costs around getting food into stores and maintaining stores is keep going up despite the cost of growing food actually decreasing. We grow twice as much food as we need if not more. It’s all a logistics failure.

[@henrikbp72]

minimum wage must rise. for example, an employee in McDonald's gets only 7.3 dollars in us. in the rest of the world they get approx. 14.5 to 17.5 dollars.

[@valenciaphillips1684]

I’m waiting on them to mention not just supply chain disruptions, but CORPORATE GREED which made RECORD PROFIT as part of this deep, pervasively systemic issue. CORPORATE GREED is also why people don’t have livable wages that increase with inflation over the decades. So the title should be Why America WON’T solve hunger.

[@tira2145]

There will always be hungry people, there will always be poor people. 99 percent of the time it's from poor life choices.

[@DrSchor]

why not buy a share in a corporation so you can cash in on the greed